# Best Chainsaws: the stierproducts tier list

- Source: https://stierproducts.com/categories/chainsaws
- Last researched: 2026-09-23T03:13:50.917Z
- Evidence base: 13 products ranked across 58 cited reviews, videos and discussions
- Method: https://stierproducts.com/methodology
- Dataset: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22062813 - every board at once, one dated snapshot per release, same licence, prices and photographs left out
- Reuse: Text, rankings, tier assignments, LP values and verdicts are free to quote and reuse with attribution to stierproducts and a link to the source URL (CC BY 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Product photographs are not covered: they belong to their respective owners and are reproduced to illustrate the product being reviewed. Do not redistribute them under this licence.

Gas, battery and corded chainsaws for felling, limbing and cutting firewood, including top-handle and compact models; pole saws, hedge trimmers, string trimmers and chainsaw sharpeners are separate.

## Summary

On the stierproducts chainsaws board, Echo CS-590 ranks #1 in S tier, ahead of Echo DCS-5000 56V (#2, S tier) and Husqvarna Power Axe 350i (#3, S tier). The board ranks 13 chainsaws from S (best) to F (avoid), last researched 23 Sept 2026, drawing on 58 cited reviews, videos and discussions. Placed in the bottom tiers as ones to avoid: Husqvarna 455 Rancher, Ego Power+ CS1613, Stihl MSA 80, and 1 other.

## Ranking

| Rank | Product | Brand | Tier | LP | Outlets | Verdict | Page |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Echo CS-590 | Echo | S | 1182 | 5 | The most proven long-term survivor on the board, with Echo's reliability reputation explicitly confirmed by a 2026 pro review. If you want a gas saw that is still running in year ten, this is it. | https://stierproducts.com/products/echo-cs-590 |
| 2 | Echo DCS-5000 56V | Echo | S | 993 | 2 | Named best overall electric by Reviewed's testing and best value by Popular Mechanics, and Echo's durable hardware philosophy carries into the 56V line. | https://stierproducts.com/products/echo-dcs-5000-56v |
| 3 | Husqvarna Power Axe 350i | Husqvarna | S | 847 | 13 | Wirecutter's best full-size saw and Popular Mechanics' best overall electric, with the battery life and build to own for years, if you accept battery-platform risk. | https://stierproducts.com/products/husqvarna-power-axe-350i |
| 4 | Echo CS-3410 | Echo | A | 755 | 3 | Near-professional cut quality and an 8-pound body at one of the most affordable price points in the test field, the compact value pick. | https://stierproducts.com/products/echo-cs-3410 |
| 5 | Stihl MS 182 C-BE | Stihl | A | 752 | 1 | Bob Vila's favorite gas saw of 2026, well-sized and more powerful than its class, backed by the best service network in the category. | https://stierproducts.com/products/stihl-ms-182-c-be |
| 6 | DeWalt DCCS670T1 | DeWalt | B | 589 | 1 | Reviewed's best-tested chainsaw outright, on a mature FlexVolt platform with strong parts availability, though it is now the older of the two DeWalts here. | https://stierproducts.com/products/dewalt-dccs670t1 |
| 7 | Husqvarna 460 Rancher | Husqvarna | B | 582 | 8 | Popular Mechanics' 2026 testing earned it a guide spot, and Husqvarna's durability reputation per The Spruce makes it the other gas workhorse worth betting on. | https://stierproducts.com/products/husqvarna-460-rancher |
| 8 | Stihl MS 391 | Stihl | B | 557 | 1 | A farm-class Stihl built for years of firewood duty, freshly validated by Popular Mechanics' 2026 testing, with the category's best dealer support behind it. | https://stierproducts.com/products/stihl-ms-391 |
| 9 | Oregon CS1500 | Oregon | C | 371 | 8 | A corded saw with almost nothing to fail and heavy-duty capability per Reviewed's testing, ranked here only because its build is budget-grade rather than because it is unreliable. | https://stierproducts.com/products/oregon-cs1500 |
| 10 | Husqvarna 455 Rancher | Husqvarna | D | 317 | 7 | The mainstream gas workhorse, riding Husqvarna's excellent durability reputation. Ranked here because its evidence base is brand-level rather than model-verified in this pass. | https://stierproducts.com/products/husqvarna-455-rancher |
| 11 | Ego Power+ CS1613 | Ego | D | 302 | 3 | The most powerful battery saw in The Spruce's current testing, with Ego's unusually long warranty softening the battery-longevity question. | https://stierproducts.com/products/ego-power-cs1613 |
| 12 | Stihl MSA 80 | Stihl | F | 195 | 1 | The most user-friendly and most refined, and the most expensive for what it delivers, the pick that leans hardest on the premium badge. | https://stierproducts.com/products/stihl-msa-80 |
| 13 | Milwaukee M18 18V Chainsaw | Milwaukee | F | 69 | 2 | Cross-shopped on brand strength and a runner-up award, yet long-term owners call it the worst tool Milwaukee ever made, buy the DeWalt DCCS677Z1 instead. | https://stierproducts.com/products/milwaukee-m18-18v-chainsaw |

## Flagged as ones to avoid

These entered one or more research runs as a product buyers cross-shop but should not buy, rather than as a pick.

- DeWalt DCCS670T1 (#6, B tier): flagged by 1 of 12 runs.
- Stihl MS 391 (#8, B tier): flagged by 1 of 6 runs.
- Husqvarna 455 Rancher (#10, D tier): flagged by 1 of 2 runs.
- Milwaukee M18 18V Chainsaw (#13, F tier): flagged by 6 of 7 runs.

## Tier meanings

- S: Exceptional. Finishes top run after run; capped at 3 slots per category.
- A: Excellent. Strongly recommended, beaten only by the very best.
- B: Good. A solid choice with real caveats worth knowing.
- C: Fair. Acceptable in the right situation, outclassed at its price.
- D: Weak. Hard to recommend when better options cost similar money.
- F: Avoid. The evidence points you elsewhere.

## How to read this

- Each category is researched in four independent runs, one per lens (expert consensus, value, reliability, community pulse). Every run ranks a board of candidates that deliberately includes products buyers cross-shop but should avoid. Placements score on a ranked ladder (LP), and tiers are derived from LP, so no tier is ever assigned by hand.
- LP is the product's points on this category's ladder. It is comparable within a category and not across categories.
- Outlets is how many distinct outlets are cited for that placement. The per-product page lists each citation, and shows which of their links were fetched and confirmed before publishing.
- Nothing is hidden: every product the research placed is on this board.

## Limitations

- We do not test products ourselves. Every placement is consolidated from published reviews, owner reports and community discussion, so a board is only as good as the sources behind it.
- LP is points on this category ladder. It is comparable within a category and never across categories.
- A board is a snapshot with a research date. Anything released or changed after that date is not in it yet.
- Evidence is uneven across this board: products carry between 1 and 13 cited sources. The count for each is in the table above.